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Anesthesia Errors: a serious form of medical malpractice
Carol Weiher woke up screaming.
"All I could say to anyone was, 'I was awake! I was awake!’" she said. This was after the anesthesia finally wore off in the recovery room. Carol had gone into the hospital to have her right eye surgically removed, and during the procedure, where she was supposed to be completely unconscious, she woke up.
Carol recalls hearing disco music and surgeons having conversations. All she wanted to do was scream, but because of the paralyzing drugs she was given, she could not move a muscle. Carol was forced to experience the bulk of a five and a half hour long surgery. The injections they gave her periodically, she describes, were like igniting fuel.
“I thought, well, maybe I've been wrong about my life, and I'm in hell," recalls Weiher.
Alexander Hannenberg, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, says that the rare, but serious case of a patient waking up under anesthesia can be traced back to simple human error. Still, even though the procedure is over, the trauma it caused Carol has left her with a condition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. After more than ten years, she is still on medication for it (CNN).
Weitz & Luxenberg understands the trauma of anesthesia malpractice, and we want to help. Those that have been seriously injured by an anesthesia error have the right to compensation. Contact Weitz & Luxenberg today for your free legal consultation.
Examples of anesthesia complications:
Some examples of anesthesia complications include, but aren’t limited to:
- Too much anesthesia
- Not enough anesthesia
- Conflicts with other drugs
- Allergic Reactions
- Failure to monitor the patient
Any one of these errors can result in (Surgeryencyclopedia.com):
- Waking up paralyzed during an operation
- Cardiac arrest
- Stroke
- Liver damage
- Severe Hemorrhaging
http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/A-Ce/Anesthesia-General.html
Some of the resulting effects of anesthesia errors require extensive medical treatment. Instances like stroke and cardiac arrest can even lead to death, as was the case in Richmond, Virginia, when a six-year-old boy died during a routine dental procedure. The cause of death was cardiac arrest as a result of the anesthesia.
What Can Be Done?
Those hurt by any number of the complications caused by anesthesia error can feel as immobilized as those undergoing it. The attorneys in the Weitz & Luxenberg Medical Malpractice Unit have the experience and expertise necessary to help you get the compensation you deserve. We can help you take action and get compensation for expenses such as:
- Medical bills related to the incident
- Any medication needed because of the incident
- Pain and suffering
- Therapy and/or counseling costs due to psychological trauma the incident caused
- Any out of pocket costs
- Any hired help needed
- Funeral costs
To start the process, simply fill out the form on this page for a free assessment of your case. A representative from our firm will be in touch with you shortly to go over your options. This service is free, simple, and does not bind you to Weitz & Luxenberg in any way.
see also:
Anesthesia Complications
Did an Anesthesia Error Lead to Injury? Contact our Malpractice LawyerAnesthesia errors can sometimes cause harm. Our legal team can help.
Foreign Objects
Post-operation foreign objects in the body are health hazards: Weitz & Luxenberg can help you seek compensationWas a foreign object left in your body after surgery? Weitz & Luxenberg can help you get compensation.
Medical Malpractice
Our medical malpractice lawyers can help you gain compensationInjured by medical malpractice? Trust Weitz & Luxenberg to help you get compensation.
